This script began as an homage to the great "parlor mysteries" of Dame Agatha Christie. Two of her works play a role in the present mystery, which comes complete with murder, multiple suspects with secrets of their own, confused identities, and a red herring or two. Fans of Christie's work will recognize the allusions, but the play functions perfectly well and the mystery unfolds for an audience member who has never encountered her work (can there be such a person?).The action is set in the remote mountains (Northern California, although not explicitly identified) - so remote, in fact, that cell phone coverage is non-existent. As a result, even today it is possible for the murderer and his or her victims to be trapped in a remote location with no hope of immediate assistance from the outside world. Thus, the scene is set for the family -Agatha Fair, Margret Clay, and Victoria Anderson, as well as Margret's new husband, William Clay - to be confronted by strangers gathering to spend Christmas at this mountain getaway. As Victoria says, if you're running a bed and breakfast you have to spend time with strangers. But one has a secret - and is apparently willing to kill to protect it!The script is suitable for all but the youngest audience members (the play includes murder and gunshots, the majority of which occur off stage). It has been produced using an entirely teenage cast, as well as using age-appropriate actors.